Guiding device in a machine for manufacturing venetian blinds

ABSTRACT

In a machine for manufacturing Venetian blinds which consist of slats and ladder tapes carrying the slats and having longitudinal parts and transverse parts, each transverse part comprising a carrying element and a supporting element between which the slat for its insertion is moved in its longitudinal direction along a slat insertion path towards and through ladder tape positions, a guiding device is used at each ladder tape position for secure insertion of each slat between the carrying and supporting elements of each transverse part of the ladder tapes, said guiding device having a guide means which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the ladder tape, when the tape is stepwise moved in its longitudinal direction, and also movable towards and away from the ladder tape along the slat insertion path and which is provided with an operating means defining together with part of the guide means a groove for the supporting element and protruding forwardly from the guide means, counted in the direction of insertion of the guide means between the carrying element and the supporting element of the ladder tape.

United States Patent [19 1 Nilsson 1 [111 3,824,657 1 July 23, 1974 1GUIDING DEVICE IN A MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING VENETIAN BLINDS [76]Inventor: Stig Albert Nilsson, Foreningsgatan 38, 211 52 Malrno, Sweden[22] Filed: Apr; 3, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 347,595

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 2/1959 Rosenbjaum ..29/24.5

Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz' Assistant ExaminerLeon GildenAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Browne, Beveridge, De- Grandi & Kline [5 7ABSTRACT In a machine for manufacturing Venetian blinds which consist ofslats and ladder tapes carrying the slats and having longitudinal partsand transverse parts, each transverse part comprising a carrying elementand a supporting element between which the slat for its insertion ismoved in its longitudinal direction along a slat insertion path towardsand through ladder tape positions, a guiding device is used at eachladder tape position for secure insertion of each slat between thecarrying and supporting elements of each transverse part of the laddertapes, said guiding device having a guide means which is movable in thelongitudinal direction of the ladder tape, when the tape is stepwisemoved in its longitudinal direction, and also movable towards and awayfrom the ladder tape along the slat insertion path and which is providedwith an operating means defining together with part of the guide means agroove for the supporting element and protruding forwardly from theguide means, counted in the direction of insertion of the guide meansbetween the carrying element and the supporting element of the laddertape.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAIENIEnamzarw sum ,1 or 3 This inventionrelates to a guiding device for a machine for manufacturing Venetianblinds 'which'consist of slats and ladder tapes carrying said slats andhaving longitudinal parts and transverse parts, the respectivetransverse part comprising a carrying element and a supporting elementbetween which the slat is to be inserted. At the insertion the slat ismoved in its longitudinal direction along a slat insertion pathtowardsand through ladder tape positions and the guiding device serves to guidethe slat in between the carrying and supporting elements of thetransverse parts or webs of the ladder tapes. Means provided in themachine bring the transverse parts successively in alignment with theslat insertion path, thereby causing the ladder tapes to moveintermittently in their longitudinal direction transversely of the slatinsertion path. The guiding device has a guide means which is mountedfor pivotment under and against spring action and adapted to movelongitudinally of the ladder tape and also to move longitudinally of theslat insertion path towards the ladder tape in between the carrying andsupporting elements thereof and away from said ladder tape.

Swedish Pat. No. 339,097 describes and shows a guiding device of thetype described in the foregoing. In the prior-art guiding device theguide means which is movable towards and away from the ladder tapeposition engages the carrying element of the ladder tape transverseparts to guide the slat inserted between the carrying element and thesupporting element during its continued insertion into the ladder tapes.The prior-art guiding device is of satisfactory function when thelongitudinal parts of the ladder tape are in the form of relatively widebands and the carrying element and the supporting element of the laddertape transverse parts are mutually offset transversely of the laddertape. When the longitudinal parts of the ladder tape are formed by cordswhich are coarser than the carrying and supporting elements which arelikewise in the form of cords, the machines equipped withthe prior-artguiding device sometimes fail to insert the slats between the carryingand supporting elements therefor.

To eliminate these disadvantages the guide means ac-' cording to theinventionis provided with an operating means which together with part ofthe guide means defines a groove for the supporting element andprotrudes forwardly from said guide means, counted in the direction ofinsertion of the guide means between the carrying element and thesupporting element. With such a construction of the guide means that theoperating means is always inserted into the relatively large spacebetween the ladder tape transverse parts and as a result between theconsecutive pairs of carrying and supporting elements and that theoperating means engages the supporting element, the guiding device willalways function in a satisfactory manner, thereby permitting anincreased working speed of the machine.

The invention will be more fully described hereinbelow with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of part of a machine equipped with theguiding device;

FIGS. 2 to 4 are side elevation views, on a larger scale, of the guidingdevice, illustrating the function thereof;

FIG. 5 is a'plan view of the guiding device.

The machine illustrated in FIG. 1 has a drive shaft 1 which is connectedto a suitable source of power and extends through gear cases 2 in thevicinity of the ladder tape positions 3. At these positions 3 slats 4are introduced into ladder tapes 5. An eccentric 6 and a shaft 7 areconnected to the transmission formed by the gear case 2. The eccentric 6cooperates with a slide 8. This slide has a sliding member 9 which isparallel with a slat insertion path 10 and has three anns'll which inthe transverse direction of the sliding member extend in beneath theslat insetion path 10. Said path is formed by spaced means (not shown)between which the arms 11 can move in the following manner. Each timeslat 4 has been moved into the ladder tapes 5 in the machine the arms 11by the action of the slide 8 and the eccentric 6 raise the slat 4 fromthe slat insertion path 10 in the direction of the arrow 12. When soraised the slat 4 moves past spring-actuated latch means (not shown)which retain the slat and a pack 13 formed by said slat and a number ofother slats in raised position when the arms'll return to the initialposition illustrated. When the slats 4 are brought together in thismanner to form the pack 13 the ladder tapes 5 in this pack 13 arefolded, and after the requisite number of slats have been inserted saidpack can be withdrawn from the machine to constitute, after completion,a finished Venetian blind. The movements for bringing together the slats4 in the direction of the arrow 12 thus imply that the ladder tapes 5are carried along and caused to move intermittently in theirlongitudinal direction (see arrow 12) transversely of the path 10 ofinsertion of the slat 4 and the insertion direction thereof, which isindicated by the arrow 14.

To guide the slats 4 in between a carrying element 15 and a supportingelement 16 of the ladder tape transverse parts 17 and in between thelongitudinal parts 18 of .the ladder tape the machine has a guidingdevice generally designated 19. This guiding device is reciprocated, inthe directions indicated by the arrows 20, by means of the shaft 7 and acam 21 thereon, which actuates a cam follower 22 on a reciprocatory arm24 which is guided in a guide 23. The cam follower 22 is kept engagedwith the cam 21 by a spring (not shown). The arm 24 is connected with-aframe 25 having a bearing 26. A guide means generally designated 27 hasone end mounted in said bearing 26 so that the respective guide means.27 projects from the respective bearing 26 towards the ladder tape 5 inthe ladder tape position 3. The guide means 27 is mounted for pivotmentunder and against the action of a spring 28 which has one end fastenedin the guide means 27 and the other end anchored in the bearing 26.Rollers 29 are provided on the ends of springs 30 to resiliently bearagainst the slat 4 during its insertion into the ladder tape 5. When thenewly inserted slat 4 is actuated by the arms 11 to be raised intoapplication with the pack 13 of slats, the ladder tape 5 being carriedalong in this movement and folded, the slat 4 can snap past the rollers29 against the action of springs 30.

The ladder tape 5 substantially depends freely from the pack 13 of slatsand is extracted from a supply (not shown) when the ladder tape 5 underthe action of the slats 4 raised into application with the pack 13 ofslats is set into intermittent movement. To keep the ladder tape 5stretched, two springs 31 are arranged alternately to engage thetransverse parts 17. The respective spring 31 has one end connected witha fastening 32 in the machine frame 33 and the initial position of thespring 31 is fixed by means '34.

According to the invention, the guide means 27 of the guiding device 19includes an operation means 35 which together with the guide means 27defines a groove 36 for the supporting element 16 of the ladder tape andprotrudes forwardly from the guide means 27, counted in the, directionof insertion 14 thereof between the carrying element 15 and thesupporting ele- 'ment 16. In side view the guide means 27 is in the formof a wedge, the widest portion of which is disposed at or near the innerend of the groove 36, and the point 37 of the wedgethus together withthe operating means 35 defines the mouth 38 of the groove 36.

The guide means 27 preferably consists of two independent parts 27a and27b, FIG. 5, which are disposed on either side of the slat insertionpath and the bearing 26 which is movable longitudinally of said path ofinsertion. Outside and adjacent to the path of motion of the respectiveparts 27a and 27b of the guide means through the ladder tape position 3is arranged a guide 39 for the said part 27a and 27b,'respectively, andthe ladder tape 5. The guide 39 in its side facing the part 27a and 27b,respectively, has a groove 40 for the ladder tape transverse parts 17and a hollow 41 beyond the groove 40 for the longitudinal parts 18 ofthe ladder tape 5. The guide 39 together with the bearing 26 preventslateral movements of the guide means 27 and the ladder tapes 5 so thatsaid guide means and said ladder tapes always occupy the correctrelative positions that ensure an undisturbed assembly.

As will appear from FIG. 2 the operating means 35 of the guide means 27has been swung by the action of the spring 28 to a position in which theoperating means 35 engages the supporting element 16 of a ladder tapetransverse part 17. During the movement of the ladder tape 5 in thedirection of the arrow 12 (which movement is realized in that the arms11 raise the next preceding slat 4 inserted into the ladder tape,thereby carrying along the ladder tape 5) operating means 35 and with itthe guide means 27 are carried along in the direction of the arrow 12,FIG. 2. The operating means 35 and thus the guide means 27 in itsentirety are moved by the drive 7, 21, 22 in the direction of the arrow14 so that the supporting element 16 is inserted into the groove 36through the mouth 38 thereof and so that the point 37 of the guide means27 is moved.

into the space between the supporting element 16 and ,the carryingelement 15. During insertion of the guide means 27 between thesupporting element 16 and the carrying element said elements are movedapart because of the wedge-shaped profile of the guide means so thatsaid supporting and carrying elements are well separated when a new slat4 is inserted into the ladder tape between the carrying and supportingelements thereof and between the longitudinal parts of said ladder tape,FIG. 4. Then the guide means 27 returns to the initial positionillustrated in FIG. 2, whereupon the cycle is repeated.

Spreading the carrying and supporting elements 15, 16 apart tends toshorten the distance between the longitudinal parts 18 of the laddertape, thereby rendering the insertion of the slat 4 more difficult. Fora reliable function the guide means 27 must be relatively looselymounted. To guarantee the free movements of the guide means 27 and tosupport them laterally and si- 4 multaneously prevent a narrowing of thespace between the longitudinal parts 18 of the ladder tapes, saidlongitudinal parts run in the guides 39 while the guide means 27 runadjacent the guides 39, whereby the relative positions of the guidemeans-27 and the ladder tapes 5 aresafeguarded at the moment when theseparts are brought together.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a machine formanufacturing Venetian blinds which consist of slats and ladder tapescarrying said slats and having longitudinal parts and transverse parts,the respective transverse part comprising a carrying elementand asupporting element between which the slat for its insertion is moved inits longitudinal direction along a slat insertion path towards andthrough ladder tape positions, a guiding device which serves to guidethe slat in between the carrying and supporting elements of thetransverse parts of the ladder tapes, means for bringing the transverseparts successively in alignment with the slat insertion path, therebycausing the ladder tapes to move intermittently in their longitudi- -naldirection transversely of the slat insertion path, a

guide means of the guiding device being mounted for pivotal movementunder and against spring action and adapted to move longitudinally ofthe ladder'tape and also to move longitudinally of the slat insertionpath towards the ladder tape in vbetween the carrying and supportingelements thereof and away from said ladder tape, wherein the guide meansof the guiding device is provided with an operation means which togetherwith part of the guide means defines a groove for the supportingelement, said operating means protruding forwardly from said guidemeans, in the direction of insertion of the guide means between thecarrying element and the supporting element.

2. A guiding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide is arrangedon each side of the path of insertion of the slats and the path ofmovement of the guide means in order to support the respective guidemeans part and to fix the pathof movement of the guide means partrelative to the ladder tape position, said guide means parts movingbetween said guide and said bearing, and in the side of said guidefacing the respective guide means part there is formed a groove-forreceiving the transverse parts of the ladder tapes, while a hollow isarranged beyond and in communication with the groove for thelongitudinal parts of the ladder tape which is moved through said guide.

3. A guiding device as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe guide meanscomprises two independent parts each ciprocable bearing for the guidemeans parts, said bearing being reciprocable in the longitudinaldirection of the path of insertion.

4. A guiding device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a guide is arrangedon each side of the path of insertion of theslats and the path ofmovement of the guide means in order to support the respective guidemeans part and to fix the path of movement of the guide means partrelative to the ladder tape position, said guide means parts movingbetween said guide and said bearing, and in the side of said guidefacing the respective guide means part there is formed a groove forreceiving the transverse parts of the ladder tapes, while a hollow isarranged beyond and in communication with the groove for thelongitudinal parts of the ladder tape which is moved through said guide.

5. A guiding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide means iswedge-shaped in side view, the widest portion of the wedge beingarranged at or near the inner end of the groove while the point of thewege together with the operating means defines the mouth of the groove.

6. A guiding device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide meanscomprises two independent parts each arranged on one side of the path ofinsertion of the slats and each provided with the operating means, and areciprocable bearing for the guide means parts, said bearing beingreciprocable in the longitudinal direction of the path of insertion. I

7. A guiding device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a guide is arrangedon each side of the path of insertion of the slats and the path ofmovement of the guide means in order to support the respective guidemeans part and to fix the path of movement of the guide means partrelative to the ladder tape position, said guide means parts movingbetween said guide and said bearing, and in the side of said guidefacing the respective guide means part there is formed a groove forreceiving the transverse parts of the ladder tapes, while a hollow isarranged beyond and in communication with the groove for thelongitudinal parts of the ladder tape which is moved through said guide.

8. A guiding device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the guide meanscomprises two independent parts each arranged on one side of the path ofinsertion of the slats and each provided with the operating means, and areciprocalbe bearing for the guide means parts, said bearing beingreciprocable in the'longitudinal direction of the path of insertion.

1. In a machine for manufacturing Venetian blinds which consist of slatsand ladder tapes carrying said slats and having longitudinal parts andtransverse parts, the respective transverse part comprising a carryingelement and a supporting element between which the slat for itsinsertion is moved in its longitudinal direction along a slat insertionpath towards and through ladder tape positions, a guiding device whichserves to guide the slat in between the carrying and supporting elementsof the transverse parts of the ladder tapes, means for bringing thetransverse parts successively in alignment with the slat insertion path,thereby causing the ladder tapes to move intermittently in theirlongitudinal direction transversely of the slat insertion path, a guidemeans of the guiding device being mounted for pivotal movement under andagainst spring action and adapted to move longitudinally of the laddertape and also to move longitudinally of the slat insertion path towardsthe ladder tape in between the carrying and supporting elements thereofand away from said ladder tape, wherein the guide means of the guidingdevice is provided with an operation means which together with part ofthe guide means defines a groove for the supporting element, saidoperating means protruding forwardly from said guide means, in thedirection of insertion of the guide means between the carrying elementand the supporting element.
 2. A guiding device as claimed in claim 1,wherein a guide is arranged on each side of the path of insertion of theslats and the path of movement of the guide means in order to supportthe respective guide means part and to fix the path of movement of theguide means part relative to the ladder tape position, said guide meansparts moving between said guide and said bearing, and in the side ofsaid guide facing the respective guide means part there is formed agroove for receiving the transverse parts of the ladder tapes, while ahollow is arranged beyond and in communication with the groove for thelongitudinal parts of the ladder tape which is moved through said guide.3. A guiding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide meanscomprises two independent parts each arranged on one side of the path ofinsertion of the slats and each provided with the operating means, and areciprocable bearing for the guide means parts, said bearing beingreciprocable in the longitudinal direction of the path of insertion. 4.A guiding device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a guide is arranged oneach side of the path of insertion of the slats and the path of movementof the guide means in order to support the respective guide means partand to fix the path of movement of the guide means part relative to theladder tape position, said guide means parts moving between said guideand said bearing, and in the side of said guide facing the respectiveguide means part there is formed a groove for receiving the transverseparts of the ladder tapes, while a hollow is arranged beyond and incommunication with the groove for the longitudinal parts of the laddertape which is moved through said guide.
 5. A guiding device as claimedin claim 1, wherein the guide means is wedge-shaped in side view, thewidest portion of the wedge being arranged at or near the inner end ofthe groove while the point of the wege together with the operating meansdefines the mouth of the groove.
 6. A guiding device as claimed in claim5, wherein the guide means comprises two independent parts each arrangEdon one side of the path of insertion of the slats and each provided withthe operating means, and a reciprocable bearing for the guide meansparts, said bearing being reciprocable in the longitudinal direction ofthe path of insertion.
 7. A guiding device as claimed in claim 5,wherein a guide is arranged on each side of the path of insertion of theslats and the path of movement of the guide means in order to supportthe respective guide means part and to fix the path of movement of theguide means part relative to the ladder tape position, said guide meansparts moving between said guide and said bearing, and in the side ofsaid guide facing the respective guide means part there is formed agroove for receiving the transverse parts of the ladder tapes, while ahollow is arranged beyond and in communication with the groove for thelongitudinal parts of the ladder tape which is moved through said guide.8. A guiding device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the guide meanscomprises two independent parts each arranged on one side of the path ofinsertion of the slats and each provided with the operating means, and areciprocalbe bearing for the guide means parts, said bearing beingreciprocable in the longitudinal direction of the path of insertion.